My Chiropractic experience

This is prominently posted in the chiropractic clinic we visited.   

It was due to my husband's excruciating neck pain that led us to see a chiropractor because even a good massage can't fix it.  Contrary to what we initially thought as just some kind of a stiff neck due to a wrong sleeping position, it turned out to be something more complicated. 

"I'll be able to help you", the chiropractic doctor said. He assured my husband that he will feel better soon enough if he had an X-ray to confirm the initial diagnosis. We brought back the unread X-ray plates within an hour.  After a few minutes of serious review, he then turned my husband's neck with one strong force to the right and another to the left. Right away my husband felt a lot better, the pain was at least bearable as soon as he got up from the examination table.

While at the clinic, my husband encouraged me to have myself checked as well.  I've heard about this practice and had wanted to have myself checked earlier; but I felt a little reluctant. Nevertheless, I went through the initial interview including a quick physical check up.

The doctor told me that I was leaning a little bit on my left, that my left shoulder slightly droop; but what is more significant is the slight "subluxation", a misalignment on my hips needing adjustment.  We would probably do that in about 6-8 sessions; otherwise, the doctor proclaimed I'm good!  I have a healthy spinal column.  "I would swap my spinal column with yours for a million dollars", was his parting words. I wanted to believe him but I wondered too, whether he tells that to all his patients. We settled the bill for my husbands sessions as well as for my initial check up; and I'll tell you, it wasn't cheap either. 

Over the weekend, I told my daughter about the proposed sessions and my reluctance to go through it.  "Why are you scrimping, mom?", she asked, "it's your health".  "I'm not, I just haven't made up my mind" I replied but I wasn't telling her that I was a little scared.

 On my husbands next adjustment, I decided to go through the procedure; but there were questions I needed to ask.  By the way, the doctor's first name is "STORM", strong name, right? I mean literally, not that it's a popular name. 

"Here I am, walking, feeling strong, with no pain whatsoever; why do I need an adjustment"?, I asked.

"A part of your hipbone is slightly misaligned", Doc Storm replied.

"Why can't I leave it like that? I probably had that for years and it never bothered me." 

"If there is misalignment, the nervous system cannot function well; it has an effect in the body's overall well being.  A misalignment causes strain, hence there is less flexibility in movement;  if not corrected it may have future repercussions to your health, and you may experience pain, in 5 or ten years, maybe, who knows!".

"What if something goes wrong?, the spinal column is very sensitive". 

He then related the case of his Filipino father-in-law who spent the Christmas holidays with them. "Papang", as he fondly call him, is known as a grouchy, anti-social old man in his community. He can't walk; he was carried from his home in the province to a tricycle, to a Jeepney, to a bus, to Doc Storm's car from the terminal, and upstairs in the guest room. During the first few days, Papang kept to himself in the his room.  

 Doctor Storm worked on him twice a day for a week, eventually he could walk!  He became more sociable; his disposition remarkably changed that for the rest of the three weeks left of his vacation he socialized with the rest of the household. When he went home, he could walk, to the amazement of his neighbors who noticed the big change in him. 

"It is safe", the doctor explained further;  "just like the airplane where the possibility of a crash is very slim.  "That's us, we're the airplane" he said. I guess that made me more apprehensive; since his name popped in my mind, Storm and airplanes? Hey, put them together and isn't that dangerous?  But then I was already there, why not give it a try, just this once, and I'll go from there, I told myself.

 "Dapa", he said in his American accent, meaning "lie on your stomach". He saw that my right foot was shorter than my left when put together, manifesting some kind of an imbalance. He checked my spine and before I knew it, I heard a cracking sound as he put heavy pressure on my upper back.  

"Now, lie on your right, bend the left knee, let the right leg follow close by and right shoulders forward", pulling my upper body and pushing the lower part;  I heard a snap as he applied pressure on my hips, then another snap when the left side was treated the same way. 

"The crackle and the snap is in no way dangerous even if it sounds like bones are breaking", he explained as he showed me the plastic model of a spine he had.  The sound is the result of the gas moving into space when the joints being moved become separated during adjustment. It is painless and harmless.

"Get up, now do you feel good?", he asked and I nodded my head, still stunned. "By the way, this session is free since we just talked last time.  Now, you like that, right?"; "thank you" I replied. 

That evening, I felt chilly, all night in fact. Even with two fleece blankets, I was still uncomfortably cold but there was no pain at all, I felt lighter as well. "The body reacts differently", he said on the next session. "Some even have hot flashes". By the way, Doc Storm comes out to the reception when he calls his next patient. As they approach, my husband noticed, he checks how they walk and most likely get a pretty good idea how the patient is doing. 

Oh, yes, I almost forgot, my husband had his feet scanned too. The scan showed that he may be totally flat-footed.  If he doesn't use an in-sole, this will also affect his over-all balance. They get a mold of each foot to custom-make the in-sole; costing  around US$300.00.  It's not cheap but fortunately, my husband has a pair given by his brother from his last trip to Vancouver, and Doc Storm said it is even of better quality. 

I completed my third session during this writing. Instead of having an adjustment last Wednesday, he said he will just see me on Saturday. Maybe he wants more time for my body to adjust and see if more adjustment is necessary. 

As I read more literature on chiropractic,  I feel more confident that this is a safe procedure.  It is really necessary to fix any subluxation for our health and well being. I also learned that:

Chiropractors do not prescribe medicine; it is a holistic approach.

Chiropractic is safe, the American Chiropractic Association, claims that: "statistically speaking, if you will travel more than a mile to your chiropractic appointment it is more likely that you will be seriously injured in a car accident than you will be injured during your chiropractic visit".

For neck and back pains, taking even the most conventional prescription drugs may do more harm to your health than have a chiropractic adjustment. 

The risk is very low because the force applied during adjustment is less than one-ninth of the force necessary to stretch or damage the vertebral artery, that is why the possibility of a very serious damage to the spine during this procedure is 1 to 4,000,000.

Today, my husband has about 6 more sessions to go since he brought up other discomfort and Doc Storm is addressing all of them. But he is feeling a lot better and lighter and his disposition brighter. As for me, I no longer droop to my left and I feel more at ease when I move; I am no longer lazy to pick up things from the floor;  like a young child, bending Is automatic. 

Looking back to about a week ago when my husband had that excruciating neck pain, and if we did not see a chiropractor, he may still be in a neck brace now and possibly taking drugs for pain. I would say, it must be a blessing in disguise, more so that his other discomforts are being addressed as well.   Besides, my subluxation would never have been corrected. Now I recall St. John's gospel, chapter 13: verse 7 which quotes Jesus talking to His disciples:

  "what I do thou knowest not now, but thou shall know hereafter"

And the 1st  verse:

"God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform; 

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the Storm."

---William Cowper

What's A Day In My Life?

I always welcome a new day! It gives me another 24 hours to enjoy life; another opportunity to bond with family, do a good deed and continue to pursue things that I have started. 

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.” 
― A.A. Milne

What's my typical day?

I always start with a little prayer of thanks that I'm still alive, that I can see, I can feel, I can walk and I can still dream. A good cup of coffee, decaf with nonfat milk is the first order of the day. Then I check out what my husband is up to, (he's always up ahead of me),  I would usually find him tending to his plants (he is in his best mood in the morning, that's probably the reason why his plants thrive well); polishing his golf clubs, cleaning his car or sun gazing. Yes, sun gazing for more energy and rejuvenation. 

My older daughter then calls, "hi mom, how are you? What's news?", to which I would reply: "nothing happened yet since we talked last",  "And what about next door, my cousins, anything new?". Then I would recall, "oh yes, One gave me our favorite native cake from Cavite yesterday"; "Another sent us macadamia chocolates from Hawaii",  I say.  " And, dad? What's he up to?".  "the same, he's tending to his plants". "You know..." She would then continue and  tell me the latest on her end, mostly about my granddaughter. This conversation goes on daily, sometimes twice a day, but I look forward to it since it assures me that everything is fine; it also gives my day a good boost. 

Breakfast follows, my usual rolled oats with banana slices and dried fruit bits, whatever is available though it's always a choice of raisins, dried cranberries, apricots, dates, pineapple or mango; mixed in with a tablespoon of nonfat milk. 

As I open Facebook, I see a message from my sister in the US, (we are on reverse time, nighttime for her), she wants to FaceTime and I type "ok" and she calls me.  We catch up on things, then she needs to work on-line and we say goodbye. 

I check if my maid prepared the veggies and ingredients I will cook, and whether she brought out the meat or fish from the freezer to thaw.  After my shower, I'm off to my convenient store and my workday starts. 

After lunch is my downtime, I read a book, write my blog, check and answer emails, read the latest posts on Facebook where I catch up with relatives and friends here and abroad; then I take a nap. (A must in our family).  Afternoon snacks with my husband is usually coffee with a sandwich or pasta. 

My favorite time is walking with my husband for an hour. This is what we do together, aside from taking our meals. This is when I get inspiration for my blog. I don't know about others but as I walk, I guess my mind starts moving as well; ideas pop in my mind, sentences come one after another that oftentimes, I have to take notes on my iPhone, otherwise I forget details as more ideas evolve. 

The walk is followed by a drink, my husband would read the newspaper where he finds the same news, having seen and heard them on tv earlier. I browse through a magazine and enjoy my green tea frap. 

After dinner, I catch up on paperwork for my store and if my son is at his home base, he would call to check on us, or if he needs to tell us something. I give the remote to my husband and I open the extension, typical parents getting a call from a child who lives far from home.  His call will give us something to talk about afterwards. 

As I open my iPad before bedtime, my younger daughter who lives abroad sent an iMessage probably sharing what new recipe she prepared for dinner that day or tell me about the new kitchen gadget she bought (she is so discriminate in buying for her condo, she doesn't want clutter) and I respond.  She will then message again and we get to chat about our latest. 

While the early morning call from my other daughter gives me a good boost, this chat concludes my day with a wonderful note!  Again, it reassures me that everything is fine in my world. 

Getting in touch with family whether personal or otherwise is the highlight of my day, it really gives me so much joy, making my life worth living. 

Is Being A Homemaker Enough For You?

Nowadays I find homemaking more exciting than when I was working. I guess  I have more time to play around and I've been doing household chores since I can remember.  I enjoy cooking new recipes, trying new household tips and sharing them with my sister and two daughters who run tiptop households themselves and are enthusiastic cooks as well. 

Part of my work as the head of administration in my former job was to interview about 300 applicants every year.  When married applicants were asked about their present occupation, each one was reluctant to admit that she is  "just a housewife or just a homemaker".  What's wrong with being  "just a housewife"? Isnt it is the most dignified, challenging and rewarding job ever?

One very sensible lady I hired to head a branch office stayed at home for sometime. Though her husband tried to convince her to help him run the family-owned lucrative business enterprise, still, she felt the need to be recognized for what she is worth outside the home. 

In our grandmothers' time, being a homemaker was the best option, if not the only option there was for married women.  In fact  their parents prepared them for this role; the upper class debutantes were sent abroad to exclusive girls' schools where courses on good housekeeping, cooking, sewing, gardening and other related subjects were emphasized. 

Nowadays however, when life is becoming very expensive, some families need two salaries of both father and mother to live comfortably and afford some luxuries. When the wife goes to work, either by choice or out of necessity; she is no longer "just the housewife", but she is still the homemaker and the burden of running the household remains her responsibility; even if she delegates the actual work to hired help. 

If you are a wife, especially if you are a mother, you will agree with me that we don't punch the bundy clock here, the job is 24/7, on call at all hours, with no breaktime if the situation warrants.  As my newly married daughter says: "house chores never end"; there's always the groceries to purchase, meals to plan and prepare;  clothes to load in the washer, to sort and to fold; the garden and plants to tend, dishes to wash, beds to make, and most importantly see to the children's needs and welfare.

In spite the fact that running a household is much, much more demanding than a regular job, I've always encouraged my daughters to pursue careers outside the home after college. I did that myself and I feel that they should also enjoy the best of both worlds.  Who says that a woman can't have it all?

Unfortunately some housewives are just too tired or too overwhelmed to think clearly what they want for themselves, they are stuck, deeply buried in that enormous heap of chores to take control of their lives.  Other women though are more imaginative that they see the in-between nooks and cranks in a tedious day at home where they can squeeze in the opportunity to pursue a hobby or do something for themselves. If one will just be more creative and gear her steps towards her dreams, then who knows what will come out of it? 

As Albert Einstein said:  "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity".

Take Julia Child for one, who had no idea how to cook enrolled in the famous Le Cordon Bleu just so she can cook well for her husband. She  took this so seriously with great determination; and little did she knew that she would eventually build a fabulous career out of it.  

Then again there is also the household diva, Martha Steward who elevated household drudgery into creative art by doing it in style.  She restored, renovated and decorated an old schoolhouse into its former glory, making it a comfortable home for her family.  She had no idea that this experience would lead to a vast multi-media business empire. 

Now, you'll tell me that we can't all be like Julia or Martha, why not?  Let us not forget that they too, were just like us; but they were eager to learn, persistent to try, patient to do things over and over again, and brave enough to embrace challenges; to take a step further and to make that commitment to succeed.  And that makes all the difference.

Finally, It is every woman's choice either to join the workforce or be a full-time homemaker. What's important is, every woman needs to find herself to be the best she can be. 

How do you celebrate Valentine's day?

Valentine's day is around the corner and there's some kind of excitement in the air.  In malls, the shops dress up their windows with hearts and cupids, magazines worth their circulation print articles about love and devote a section or two of valentine gift ideas "for her" and "for him"; restaurants are whipping up quick-to-prepare menus and improving their spread in keeping with the occasion.  Some people check out what's interesting in jewelry shops.  On the web, I've already read blogs about the "big" day; and not to be outdone, here I am typing my own.  

How do we celebrate valentine?

Many say it with flowers...

And chocolates...                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                            

Others give perfume...

Or jewelry

Still others like cuddly stuffed toys. 

For a change why not celebrate with sushi?

And a cocktail?

When I was in grade school, our teachers encouraged us to wear a  "heart-on-our-sleeve", or more accurately wear it like a corsage or a brooch.  They even taught us a song or two in keeping with the occasion.

At my dorm in college, we were all excited when this big day came around, we all looked forward with happy anticipation. There was always the question:  "Will it be red roses?", "chocolates, maybe". "Will he bring me to a dinner show?"  Having a hot date was a big deal.

Every valentine, my husband would often recall about a colleague who came to work in a red shirt and my! Was he the object of so much teasing until he couldn't take it anymore so he went home to change?

Then there was his officemate who was out of town on business and sent a telegram on valentine's day. ( no emails or text then).  When his wife got the telegram, it read:  "miss you, wish you were her", the last "e" was inadvertently omitted. What do you think happened when he got home?  Haha! I wouldn't like to know. 

On valentine's day earlier on, my husband would send me a big vase of roses at work, sometimes if his schedule allowed, he would even surprise me by showing up to bring me out to lunch.  In the evening we usually have dinner and watch a show or go dancing.  Nowadays however, for practical reasons, we choose to stay home instead.  We find the restaurants always full to the brim and food is not as reasonably good as they are on regular weekends.  So why join the crowd?  There are many ways to celebrate valentine, after all we can always celebrate it any other day or even everyday! 

Enjoy your valentine's day!

What I Did For Blog

Now it can be told. 

It all started when I made "Sankaya", baked custard inside a pumpkin. It was after thanksgiving and I made a post on Facebook telling my friends, especially those who live abroad to turn their decorative pumpkins into food.  

You see, I got these butternut squash on sale, and I thought they would be nice to display on my fruit tray.  I love to decorate with the "natural", and that explains my fondness for twigs and dried flowers as well. 

Then I saw a celebrity chef make Sankaya on tv and I wanted to try it. 

When my younger daughter saw the post she said that it is better appreciated in a blog and encouraged me to start blogging. She set up my account and sent me the data I needed to start. She gave me the necessary precautions on security and told me "not to post our family recipes, that's our secret", she said.  I followed her instructions, logged in and I was on my way!

By coincidence, a friend from kindergarten whom I haven't seen since high school came to visit and that gave me my first topic. 

 I was able to publish my second blog right away.  Everything seemed okay, my children gave words of praise and encouragement and urged me to go on.  My blog guru said:  "It's actually good"; "go on Mom, express yourself" said another and the eldest said: "it's well written, continue writing, it is therapeutic".

But the challenge was yet to come! 

 When I was about to publish my third blog, it all came out in one large paragraph! What did I do, everything seemed to be going fine, what now?  Who else would I turn to but my daughter, my blog guru, the creator of this project?  Of course I took time asking her, even though I was so restless and impatient to get going again for I knew she's so busy at work to bother her with my personal whim. 

After asking several questions, she said she can't help me, she doesn't know exactly what I did; so I have to resolve that myself.  What? I was stunned, all I wanted was for her to restore it to the original set up, the way I had it in the beginning. But NO!  She can't!  Oh, wow, is that it?  There goes my blog! 

I won't pretend, I'm definitely not a computer savvy:  just putting pictures to my blog is a trial-and-error thing, I just grope.  That's how some of us in my generation are; we depend a lot on our children or younger friends to guide us; we were educated without google and Wikipedia, remember?  But we try to keep up with the times because we know that the computer is here to stay; that everything in the future may depend on it. 

Now, can you appreciate my dilemma?

So what shall I do now?, I asked myself.   I thought about asking my other daughter, the one who set up my Facebook account and my Facebook guru. But NO, she doesn't know blogs! 

I left it for a while, then my blog guru said "look for alternative ways. Those things doesn't always work";  "Try to copy-paste; use your laptop, I use that when I make my blogs".  So I booted my laptop and several things started popping up, and I realized I haven't opened it since I got my iPad.  I was so confused...and I felt so helpless.  I also wanted to cry and be angry but then I thought, what good will it do? 

Then I recalled the purpose of my blog that I pledged "to be open-minded to experience the new and be optimistic in every situation".  So, being angry was out. 

But I knew I wasn't giving up, "I'll find a way", I told myself; but I wasn't telling anyone. 

Then my blog guru even challenged me, "are you going to give up, just for that?" And I thought, why should I?  But when she said that, I suspected she knew how to solve my problem and was tempted to help me already but she held back.  Having no one to turn to, my only recourse was Google. It took me sometime; read plenty of help instructions; went through as many comments of users on the matter as I could find; and eventually  after a lot of trial and error here and there, Whew! 

I finality made it right. On my own! 

Did I spill my guts out here? 

In retrospect, maybe my daughter was right after all; she didn't want to give me all the answers thinking that it would be best to discover it myself. It might not have been easy for her as well knowing that I was anxious.  Did she chose between giving me fish or teaching me how to fish?  Maybe. But was it worth my anxiety? And my sleepless nights?  Well, I guess my daughter knows me better than I know myself; that she knew all along that I would rise above the issue.  Whatever her reason, it doesn't matter now.  I feel I should even thank her.  And I remember the quote that I like:

"What is a triumph that is easily won?  Victory from the bitter dredge of life is the sweetest victory to me" 

As they say, "all is well that ends well". 

And my blog goes on!

My Little Sister

I often miss my sister, I always feel there isn't enough time to bond with her like sisters often do. I'd love to meet up with her often, have lunch and spend the day shopping, or maybe even just have a quick coffee-and-doughnut time; just to tell her things that is normally shared only with a sister or with a best friend. 

What things?  "Wala lang"  ( nothing at all ). 

 Oh, no big deal there, maybe just to tell her flimsy things: like finding the right dress for a party;  or about the latest recipe I tried; the gorgeous pair of shoes she got for a bargain; incidents that bothered me hoping that telling her will set things right; or when I"m just having a bad hair day.

 But that is not happening since she lives in the US while I am in Asia.

She used to live with us since she started college and stayed on when she had a job.  But at 19 however, she got married and her husband brought her all the way to California.  As much as I was then happy for her, I missed having her around. 

One of the happiest and maybe the most memorable time I spent with her and her family was when my whole family went for vacation in the US.  She had nagged us to visit so finally, my husband made it happen. 

This picture of us was taken in her previous home in Vacaville.

That  first summer was Disneyland and Universal Studios excursions, including a tour around LA and a walk-through along the shops at Rodeo Drive. My children and their cousins had a grand time bonding and sharing jokes. 

This one of us was taken in Vegas that year. 

I feel nostalgic whenever I hear  "Lady in Red"  and I recall the show in Las Vegas, where a guy sang it  while a girl was coming down from a rope above, kept swirling, turning, swirling, turning until she reached the floor and she was wearing a red dress!   Lake Tahoe was where we truly enjoyed a seafood buffet.  I like the quaint little shops in Monterey and Pebble Beach was more for the guys who had a fascination for golf. We had wine tasting and looked at the shops in Napa.   

Of course we also made the rounds of San Francisco's  landmarks. We had a great time, but what amazed me so were the numerous trips to the outlets and the six balikbayan boxes full of shoes and clothes we bought. 

Oh my! Is this turning into a nostalgic narration? Do you mind?

 The next summer, her family and mine had a road trip from San Francisco to Vancouver and back stopping over in Portland, Oregon and Seattle.  My bother-in-law is the greatest tourist guide ever ! He patiently brought us to places worth seeing and took our pictures on important landmarks. He always said:  " come, I'll take your picture, pose here, the background is nice....".

This one was taken at Stanley Park in Vancouver.

Oh, those two summers were sooooo wonderful, having visited a lot of places, bonding with my sister and her family, I'd say, it's a dream come true.  In fact I put together our numerous pictures in a very thick and heavy album and called it "California Dreams".  Take a look at the cover.

End of nostalgia. Now, back to more current affairs. 

Late last year we had a great time when she came for my daughter's wedding. 

This picture was taken at the wedding reception right on the beach of Shangrila, Mactan, Philippines. 

While in Cebu, Philippines during the wedding weekend, we visited the place where Ferdinand. Magellan of Spain landed and met the Filipino chieftain, Lapu Lapu. Look at the marker, indicating it took place in the year 1521. 

Below are two pictures in Singapore:

Before last year's visit, I haven't seen her in 10 years, not until I invited her to go to Singapore with us two years ago. Here she posed at Marina Bay Sands with the Skypark in the background. 

She says she misses tropical fruits from Asia, so we bought these at the Tekka Mall, beside Little India in Singapore. Her favorite is lanzones, her breakfast that morning. 

My sister is a great person to be with, when she is around, we laugh a lot.  My children, together with our nieces and nephews would laugh while they tell about the latest family happenings and recall family jokes.  She values family a lot; wants to be in touch with everyone all the time in spite of the distance. 

She is a sociable person, she is funny, loves to dress up and shop, likes to go out with friends, try new restaurants and enjoys happy hour. 

She also loves to travel and see new places, here she is in Hawaii with a niece. 

She loves to cook, she is often in search of new recipes, always very curious how a new one would taste like; cooking is play to her.  She likes having company at home that's why she often invites relatives and friends. 

She is also a dotting grandma, look how she seems to enjoy carrying her grandkids.

I was 12 when she was born that's why she really looks up to me as the older sister.  Take a look at the photo below so you can imagine our age difference. 

As a baby, I took care of her. She was a sweet child, good tempered and smiled a lot.  My mama always brought her to parties and she always entertained everyone with her antics. 

When she was older, she didn't mind doing errands for me. She enjoys going to the marketplace across our house to buy goodies. Looking back, I feel bad whenever I remember that she loved the Ponkan (Chinese honey orange, tangerine variety) I brought home one vacation from college. 

She liked it a lot that she gave me part of what she saved from her allowance to buy some and send it back to her. Oh my, what was I thinking then that I failed her when she was so young and trusting?  I couldn't even remember exactly why I never really got to buy the ponkans, much less why I failed to send them. To this day, I still feel so guilty that I'm unable to forgive myself; I just hope she has forgiven me. 

Early on, we get in touch only on birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and New Year and when something important came up.  Nowadays however, I'm glad we are able to talk as often as we want since the advent of FaceTime and Skype.  We also take time to chat when we find ourselves both logged-in on Facebook.

But still, there is no substitute for seeing each other face to face,  beats FaceTime anytime!  When is her next visit or mine, who knows?  I'm sure I'll see her when I see her. 

By the way, she edited this blog, she is so conscious about how she looks in the pictures that she made me delete two.  

Novels: My All-time Entertainment

I've been reading books since I can remember.  My older brother and I were greatly influenced by our parents who were avid readers. I recall that my mama was always reading unless she was cooking, baking or crocheting.  My papa always read as well, if he did not tinker his car. When I was younger, we often took shopping trips to Manila.   You would think my mama lost herself on clothes, bags or shoes?  Oh no, not even jewelry!  Her most important stop was the bookstore!

I was introduced to novels as early as grade school, that's  when I read Loiuse May Alcott's The Little Women.   Who would miss reading that very famous book!  Soon after that my mama bought me the Emily Loring novels.  Oh yes, I had the entire collection; all of them in book bound; for it was only  sometime later that her novels came out in paperbacks. My brother got his collection of Tom Sawyer.  

Then there was Perry Mason, and soon after came Ian Fleming's James Bond Series.  They all got me hooked and from then on, I was never without a book. In fact, I was the most frequent borrower in the entire school's library. When I was in college, reading books was my past time, especially on weekends when I could finish a paperback. When I was working, I would read at least one bestseller a month. 

Why are books such a marvel? Books never fail to entice me. They are my all-time form of entertainment; very informative and very educational;  though, like the movies or TV programs, we should be very discriminate about what we read, especially with children. 

Books are the best alternative for travel; they transport us to places we never heard of, or have never seen before.  Of course nowadays, there's television but before it's advent, we solely relied on books. Oftentimes books make us feel part of the story, they make us laugh or cry, they get us excited, scared or inspired; they give us ideas that we never imagined possible. 

Some books have great value, famous First Editions are priceless, they are collectors items. Books have decorative value as well, especially when placed to compliment artifacts; arranged in bookshelves in attractive-colored background, they can aptly decorate an entire wall. They also make our tabletops more interesting. 

Today, I am reading more than ever, in fact, so much, much more, It is part and parcel of my days.  It is what I do for entertainment and relaxation, it helps me avoid worries and stress.  Oh, what I'd do without a book?   

At home there are books almost everywhere; in the bedroom and in the bathroom; I have a mini collection in my home office while I keep my cookbooks in the kitchen.  My husband has his own set of books; some about golf, some Readers Digest condensed books and novels usually enjoyed by men.  In the living room, we placed a big center table to display coffee table books. 

The great philosopher, Cicero once said: 

" a home without books is like a body without a soul". 

Since the advent of ebooks my husband and I slowed down buying books, we even started disposing old paperbacks.  We now read mostly from our iPads, though we never miss buying a great bestseller occasionally.  Fortunately, one of our daughters took it upon herself to make sure we always have ebooks to read. We always look forward with excitement to her emails of ebooks. Recently, we had a windfall of ebooks when our son brought his USB containing 300!  Now, that is like unearthing a treasure!